Adjustable chairs



June 27, 1961 P. s. FLETCHER 0 ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Originai Filed Feb. 9, 1956 IN VEN TOR.

2,990,006 ADJUSTABLE CHAIRS Peter Stewart Fletcher, Delray Beach, Fla, asignor to Anton Lorenz, Ocean Ridge, Boynton Beach, Fla. Original application Feb. 9, 1956, Ser. No. 564,473, now Patent No. 2,958,371, dated Nov. 1, 1960. Divided and this application May 19, 1959, Ser. No. 814,254

6 Claims. (Cl. 155-106) This invention relates to reclining chairs and in particular to an improved seat control means which may be adjusted from a normal sitting position into a tilted position.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved seat control for reclining chairs in combination with any leg rest or leg-supporting platform which is normally disposed below the front of the seat but is automatically elevated into leg-supporting position when the chair is operated into a tilted position; which will have simple, dependable and etfective mechanism for operating the seat with the leg rest or leg-supporting platform into and out of its eifective leg-supporting position; which will employ novel and simple mechanism; and which will be relatively durable, compact and inexpensive.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of several embodiments of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevation of a chair constructed in accordance with this invention, but with a side removed by a section just inside the chair in order to illustrate the mechanism employed for extending the leg rest, the parts being shown in the position occupied when the chair is in sitting position.

FIG. 2 is a similar view but with the parts in the tilted position; and

FIG. 2a is a schematic diagram illustrating the action of the linkage of FIGS. 1 and 2 used to extend the leg rest.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 2a, the chair includes a support 1 having upright side members 2 that are spaced apart but connected by base members 3 and 4. A seat 5 and back rest 6 are disposed between the side members 2 of the support. The back rest is pivoted on a pivot or pin 7 adjacent its lower part, which pivot or pin 7 is carried by the support 1. The seat 5 is also pivoted at its rear end on the same pivot or pin 7. The seat 5, however, can be rocked on its pivot 7 independently of the back rest 6. A leg-supporting platform or rest 8 is disposed between the side members 2 of the support 1 below the forward edge of the seat 5 when the chair is in its normal sitting position, and this leg-supporting platform is mounted on a lazy tong device. This lazy tong device includes three pairs of links at each side of the seat which are carried by the support 1 and which in turn support the leg rest 8 and extend or retract it as desired.

These three pairs of links include one pair formed of links 9 and 10 which are hinged together by pivot or pin 11. The link 9 is pivotally connected by a pivot 12 to the support 1. The other link 10 is connected at its free end by pivot pin 13 to the leg rest 8. Another pair of links includes links 14 and 15 which are hinged together by a hinge 16. The free end of the link 14 is pivotally connected by a pin 17 to the support 1, and the link 15, at its free end, is pivotally connected by a pin 18 to one end of a link 19 of another pair of links. The other link 20 of this last pair is connected to the link 19 by a hinge 21, and the free end 20 is connected by the pivot pin 22 to the leg rest 8 below the pivot pin 13 by which the link 10 was connected to the leg rest. The link 14 is provided with United States Patent 0 "ice an extension 23 beyond its hinge 16 and this extension is pivotally connected by pin 24 to the link 10 intermediate'of the ends of the latter. The link 19 of the third mentioned pair of links is pivotally connected intermediate of its ends by pivot pin 25 to the link 10 between the leg rest and the pivot pin 24.

It is to be observed that these three pairs of links at each side of the seat provide a lazy tong device for supporting the leg rest 8 from the support 1, and the links are so interconnected that We have a plurality of successive quadrilaterals of links arranged in succession or tandem with the leg rest 8 forming part of one quadrilateral of links, and with the support 1 forming with the links of an end pair of links a third quadrilateral that is arranged in tandem with the other two quadrilaterals. Thus, if any one of the links of any quadrilateral of links is operated back and forth, the lazy tong device formed of the succession of three quadrilateral linkages will cause the leg to be extended upwardly and forwardly into the supporting position shown in FIG. 2 or retracted beneath the forward edge of the seat 5.

To operate this lazy tong device a connecting link 26 is pivotally connected by a pin 27 to one of the links, such as the links 9, the other end of the connecting link 26 being pivotally connected by a pin 28 to an arm 29 which depends from the back rest 6 below the pivot pin 7 on which the back rest may tilt. Thus, when the back rest 6 is moved rearwardly at its upper end, its lower end will move the link 26 endwise to the left in 'FIGS. 1 and 2, and thus rock the link 9 to the left in FIGS. 1, 2 and 2a and cause an extension of the lazy tong that elevates the leg rest 8 to a position in front of the seat 5, as shown in FIG. 2. In order to support the forward edge of the seat 5 and also elevate that forward edge when the back rest 6 is moved into a tilted position, the seat 5 is provided with a descending lug 30 at each side of the seat, and each lug 30 at its lower end mounts a roller 31 on a rolling pivot 32, and this roller 31 rolls on the adjacent connecting link 26.

The link 26 therefore serves to support the seat 5 because the lug 30 is disposed forwardly of the pivot 7 on which the seat is mounted to rock or tilt. Then, when the back rest 6 is moved into a tilted position, it automatically causes an extension of the lazy tong device and an elevation of the leg rest 8 into a position approximately at the level and in front of the forward edge of the seat 5, and because the link 26 rises during this movement, that link will actthrough the roller 31 and lug 30 to elevate the forward edge of the seat 5, as shown in FIG. 2. When the back rest 6 is returned to its upright or sitting position, shown in FIG. 1, it will pull endwise on the link 26 and retract the leg rest to its sitting position, shown in FIG. 1, and lower the front edge of the seat 5.

It will be noted that the roller 31 is supported, raised and lowered by a four bar linkage. This four bar linkage at each side of the seat is formed of the extension 29 of the back rest, the connecting link 26, and the link 9 below the pivot 12 to the pivotal connection 27 of the link 26. The frame of the chair which supports the pivots 7 and 12 is the fourth link of the four bar linkage. The roller 31 rides on and is operated by one of the links 26 of this four bar linkage, and hence the latter plus the roller 31 and the lug 30 control the angle of inclination of the seat 5.

It will be understood that there is one of these lazy tong arrangements at each side of the support so as to support the leg rest at each side thereof, and suitable stops, not shown, may be employed to limit the tilting movements of the seat and back rest. Each lazy tong arrangement in this example of the invention has its links comprising it operatively connected by means which includes at least one extension of one of the links of each a the link 14 of the second pair of links. In this example one ofthe links of the first pair is alwayspivoted to the support, and the other-of link-ofthat pairis alway pivoted to the leg rest, also one of the links of-the second pair is always pivoted to the supporter trame, and the other link of that pair is-always pivoted to one link of the third pair. The other link of the third pair is always pivoted toEthe legrest. The extension of at least one of the links of a pair is'pivoted to a link of another pair.

It will be understood that various change in thedetails and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order --to explain the nature of "the-invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principleand scope of ;the invention asexpressed in'the appended claims.

This application is a division of my copending'application Serial Number-564,473, filed February 9, 1956, now Patent No. 2,958,371, issued November 1, 1960.

I claim:

1. An adjustable chair comprising asupport, a back rest and a seat, said back rest and said seat being pivotally mounted for limited rotation on axes at the rear of said seat and the lower part of said back rest, said back rest having an extension-depending below its axis of rotation, a supporting link'pivoted to said support and generally about upright when the back rest is upright, an'actuating link articulately connecting said depending extension to said supporting link so that said extension, said links and said support together form a quadrilateral linkage, and a free roller carried by said seat forwardly of the axis of rotation ofthe seat rolling on said actuating link, and supporting said seat forwardly of, its axis by-which it is pivotally mounted, whereby when said back rest is rotated rearwardly on its said axis it will actuate said quadrilateral linkage and through said roller will raise the forward part of said seat.

2. An adjustable chair comprising a'support, a back rest and a seat pivoted to said support and movable between sitting and tilted positions, an actuating link at each side of the seat connected to said back rest below its said pivot and extending forwardly therefrom, a generally upright supporting link which is pivoted to said support and to the forward'end of said supporting link, and a free roller carried by each side portion of the seat andfeach rolling on and supported by the said actuatinga link at that side of the seat for supporting the forwardpart of the seat and raising it when the back restis tilted rearwardly and said actuating link is moved forwardly.

3. An adjustable chair comprising a frame, a back rest and a seat pivotally mounted on said frame for limited rocking by the back rest about an axis near its lower edge and by the seat about an axis near its rearedge,

said back rest rising from adjacent the rear edge of theseat and having a portion depending well below its pivotal mounting in a position to rise and move forwardly when the back rest is tilted rearwardly, one link pivoted to said support forwardly of the back rest, an actuating link having itsrear end connected'to'said depending portion of-the back rest, at Well:be1ow the pivotal mounting of the-back rest, extending forwardly therefromand having-its front end connected to apart of said one link wbich'has an upward component of movement during the period while'the backrest is'being tilted rearwardly and the actuating link is moved thereby, and means by which saidseat forwardly of its pivoted rear edge, is supported by and has relative movement along said actuatinglink as the latter actuates said one link, whereby'when's'aid back rest is tilted rearwardly it causes forward and upward movement of said actuating link and lose. moving it raises said roller carried by said seat. and rocks said seat upwardly about its pivoted mounting at its rear edge.

4. The chair according to claim 3, wherein said means supporting said seat includes a free roller carried by the seat and rolling on said actuating link. I

5. Anadjustable chair comprising a frame, a generally upright back rest pivoted near its lower-edge to saidframe and having a .part. depending downwardly therefrom and moving forwardly and upwardly in an are when said back rest is tilted rearwardly, a seat pivoted near its rear edge to said frame, one link connected at one end to said support andhaving a part that rises at some time during its movement from a vertical position, and actuating link connected at its rear end to the depending part of said back rest, at a point well below the pivotal mounting of the back rest,-and at its forward end to said one link to causeit to swing when the back rest is tilted rearwardly, and means carried by said seatwell forwardly of its rear edge and supported by and being freely movable along said actuating link for supporting the forward part of said seat and raising it as the actuating link is-raised and moved forwardly when the back rest is tilted rearwardly.

6. The chair according to claim 5, wherein said means carried by said seat includes a free roller which rolls on said actuating link as the latter is moved endwise.

Reference'sCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 793,125 Fagerstrom June 27, 1905 2,374,848 Wohlk r. May 1, 1945 2,870,822 Luckhardt Jan; 27, 1959 FOREIGN. PATENTS 1,131,243 France Oct. 15, 1956 545,855 Canada Sept. 3, 1957 788,096 7 Great Britain..- Dec. '23, 1957 

